By State Representative, Leon D. Young
Leon D. Young
Much has been said, written, and blogged about Mitt Romney’s recent foray into the hotbed of Barack Obama’s staunchest political supporters. Just four years ago, Black Americans showered then candidate Obama with 96 percent of their vote.
The liberal media has made a point of noting the public displeasure expressed by NAACP convention attendees when Romney stated that he would repeal the Affordable Health Care Act (ObamaCare), if elected president. The GOP hopeful also ran into trouble with this audience when he criticized the president for running a negative campaign, asserting that he [the president] could not bring economic recovery to the nation.
Conservative bloggers and media outlets of the same elk paint a far different picture of Mitt Romney’s trek behind enemy lines. They give effusive praise to his willingness to address the convention, and revel over the fact that as he walked offstage, the crowd rose to its feet for an ovation. What’s not being said, however, is the fact that this ovation may have had more to do with the politics of Mitt Romney’s father, who Mr. Romney referenced several times during his speech. George Romney, the former Michigan governor, was an active champion for civil rights, and is highly regarded for having been such in the Black community.
But, in truth, Romney should not be heralded for his NAACP visit. In Romney’s delusional world, he fervently believes that he can be all things to all audiences. Moreover, he is also of the mind set that the electorate suffers from an extreme case of collective political amnesia. This, in turn, gives him ample political leeway to lie and flip-flop on what he believes in and actions taken as governor of Massachusetts.
In hindsight, I think that the attendees at this convention missed a golden opportunity in sending a clear, unequivocal message to Mr. Romney and the conservative establishment. Rather than having resorted to occasional cackles and boos, in expressing its opposition, I believe that the audience’s response would have been exponentially more powerful (and totally understood!) had Mr. Romney’s ill-conceived comments been received with complete and utter silence.
Something that even Mitt Romney, in his delusional state of mind, could not ignore!